How to Dye A Leather Jacket: 4 Steps

Dying a leather jacket is easy. In this video, cobbler and artist Teri Edmonds covers 4 easy steps to reviving an old black leather jacket. All products can be purchased from the links below to complete the jacket restoration just like a professional.

Supplies needed:

Step 1 – Patch and Condition

The best outcome of this project relies on good material preparation. In this step, check for holes or areas that need a thin leather patch from the inside. If a hole exists, use a soft, thin, leather. The patch is glued using contact cement. Press the glued side of the leather patch to the hole and let it dry for 20 minutes. It is recommended that the patch be dyed prior to glueing. If not dyed first, the glued area won’t allow the color of the dye to seep through.

After the patching, apply The Lincoln Boot And Shoe Care. Use a soft cloth and liberally apply the conditioner all over the leather and let dry. If the leather is extremely dry, use another coat until the suppleness of the leather returns.

Step 2 – Apply the Dye

Use Lincoln Leather Dye and a 2″ paint brush to apply the dye to the leather. Thick strokes look better on large panels of leather. The small daubers can leave small streaks and are hard to cover up on large panels. Start anywhere on the coat leaving plenty of room on the workspace counter to move the jacket around.

Step 3 – Condition Again

Liberally apply one more coat of the Lincoln Boot and Shoe Care all over the jacket and let dry.

Step 4 – Touch Up Paint

Angelus leather paints are a great way to touch up imperfections in the leather that the dye won’t cover. Using a blending technique, carefully touch up areas.